Trailer piers

ABSTRACT

Trailer piers of separate elements interengageable in superposed relation in vertical alignment in different numbers from one pair to a plurality of adjacent pairs to provide piers of different heights. In each instance the pier so formed provides convergently upwardly extending side walls, a broad, horizontal lower ground-engaging surface, a smaller, but relatively large upper wall centrally apertured for a conventional vertical, trailer-engaging bolt and height-adjusting nut, which upper wall is adequate for supporting a set of wedges for rigidly supporting the trailer independently of said bolt after the trailer has been levelled.

United States Patent 1151 3,653,168 Cook 1 Apr. 41, 1972 54] TRAILERPIERS 3,541,748 11/1970 Rothgeb ..52/169 [72] Inventor: Elbert W. Cook,5461 Eastside Road,

. Primary Exammer-Pnce C. F aw, Jr. Reddmg Cahf' 96001 Attorney-Boyken,Mohler, Foster & Schwab [22] Filed: Mayll, 1970 Appl. No.: 36,859

[52] US. Cl ..52/294,52/122,52/169 [51} Int. Cl. ..E02d 5/52, E02d 27/48[58] Field ofSearch ..52/294, 292, 169, 122, 227

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,374,624 4/1945 Schwendt..52/227 1,647,925 11/1927 May ..52/227 1,447,942 3/1923 Fitzgerald..52/294 2,032,030 2/1936 Talen ..52/227 X [5 7] ABSTRACT Trailer piersof separate elements interengageable in superposed relation in verticalalignment in difierent numbers from one pair to a plurality of adjacentpairs to provide piers of different heights. In each instance the pierso formed provides convergently upwardly extending side walls, a broad,horizontal lower ground-engaging surface, a smaller, but relativelylarge upper wall centrally apertured for a conventional vertical,trailer-engaging bolt and height-adjusting nut, which upper wall isadequate for supporting a set of wedges for rigidly supporting thetrailer independently of said bolt after the trailer has been levelled.

1 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures IN'VENTOR. ELBERT W. COOK ATTORNEYSPATENTEDAPR 4 1972 SUMMARY OF INVENTION Heretofore concrete piers forsupporting trailers have been cast in different heights, such as 12, 18,24 and 30-inch heights, and such piers have been pyramidal in shape withsquare upper and lower ends. The upper ends of the piers areapproximately 3 inches X 3 inches and the lower ends approximately 12inches X 12 inches. Usually a 16 inches X 16 inches X 2 inches squarewooden pad has been positioned on the ground to support each pier sinceeach pier is hollow, being formed with a downwardly opening recesshaving lower edges that require a pad for support. Inasmuch as theground on which the trailer is to be positioned may be a slope, orirregular, the separate areas or spots levelled for the pads and piersmay be at different elevations, and these different elevations may bewidely different at different trailer locations. Thus the conventionalone-piece piers suitable for use at one location may be unsuitable foruse at another location without making extensive excavations or fills.

Also, heretofore, the areas of the upper surfaces on conventional piersdo not provide sufficient bearing surfaces for supporting adequatewedges. As a result, the occupant or owner of the trailer, instead ofmaking excavations or fills to position the upper surfaces of the piersapproximately coplanar in a horizontal plane may rely on the precarious,relatively weak height-adjusting bolt and nut members on the piers tosupport the trailer, after the final levelling has been effected.Heretofore, when the trailer is moved from one location to another, andis again to be supported on piers, and the contour of the ground at thenew location is different, it may be necessary to acquire new piers ofdifferent heights, and in any event, the procedure of excavating andfilling must be repeated in most instances, for the pier pads that arepart of the pier assembly.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of pierstructure enabling the positioning of the supporting piers for a trailerdirectly on the ground at different points that are at different levels,with a minimum of excavating or filling, and which structure comprisesfrom one pair to a plurality of adjacent pairs of superposed pierelements, in which the elements of one pair, in each instance, provide arelatively large, horizontal upper surface for adequate wedge supports,and a conventional height-adjusting bolt and nut assembly. Also, thebase of one element of said one pair has a large, continuous, horizontallower wall and surface, except for a central drain aperture. adapted tosupport the pier structure directly on the ground, and said one pair,and adjacent pairs where more than one pair are required, havecomplementarily formed interfitting projections and recesses formaintaining the pier elements in vertical alignment. Furthermore, whereonly one pair of superposed elements are used, the laterally facingsurfaces are tapered to extend continuously convergently upwardly from arectangular base on the lowermost element, and where more than one pairof elements are used in a pier the uppermost, and lowermost elements arethe elements of said one pair and are hollow and vertically open ended.

By the above-described structure, a trailer owner having pier elementsfor forming the different piers is enabled to form differentcombinations to support the trailer level on ground that slopes or hasdifferent levels at the desired positions for the piers, irrespective ofthe surface contour of the ground at different locations.

In most instances, substantially less than a supply of pier elements formaximum height at all points of support are sufficient to enablepositioning the piers, with minimum excavation or filling to meet thedifferent conditions encountered, for supporting a trailer elevatedabove the surface of the ground.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description anddrawings.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded view isometrically showingthree of the pier elements of one pier in vertical alignment, with thenear portion of each element broken away and in cross section, a set ofsupporting wedges on the uppermost element and with an adjusting nut andbolt device in position on the uppermost element.

FIGS. 2, 3, 4, respectively, show a simplified fragmentary end view of atrailer supported on different assemblies of the pier elements of FIG. 1to illustrate a few of the arrangements for different conditions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The dimensions hereinafter specified are only byway of examples of dimensions that have been found to be practical formeeting the demands of trailer owners.

Also, it is to be understood that the word trailer as used herein isintended to include mobile homes and other buildings capable of beingsimilarly supported.

Referring to FIG. 1, a lease pier element, generally designated 1, has arectangular base portion 2, preferably square, providing a continuous,fiat, lower horizontally disposed surface adapted to be positioned flaton the ground. Cast or molded integrally with said base portion are fourside walls 3. The inner surface 4 and the outer surface 5 of each sidewall extend convergently upwardly from said base portion 2, to ahorizontally disposed, flat, continuous upper surface 6, and thesurfaces 6 of the four side walls are coplanar and define the four edgesofa central, square upper opening in element 1.

An upwardly projecting, horizontally extending rib 7 of inverted V-shapecross-sectional contour is approximately centrally formed integrallywith element 1 on the upper surface 7 of each side wall 3 extendinglongitudinally of each surface 7, and a unitary, endless reinforcingwire 8 is horizontally imbedded in walls 3 in the element 1, adjacent tothe base portion 2.

The central part 9 of the base portion 2 that extends between the lowerends of the side walls 3 is relatively thick, vertically, compared tothe vertical width of the vertically disposed outer surfaces of baseportion 2 along the lower edges of side walls 3 and said part 9 isformed with a centrally positioned drain opening 10. The part 9 providesa bottom wall for the element 1 that extends to the outer edges of saidbase portion, and the upper surface of said bottom wall and innersurfaces 4 of side walls 3 define the surfaces of an upwardly openingrecess in said element 1.

The upper element of the pier is generally designated 13. This elementis preferably square in horizontal contour, having an upper rectangularend wall 14 formed with a horizontal, flat, upper surface 15, and fourcorresponding side walls 16 having outer surfaces 17 that extenddivergently downwardly from opposite edges of the upper surface at thesame degree of inclination relative to horizontal, as the surfaces 5 onbase element 1.

The outer dimension of the upper element 13 at its lower end correspondsto the outer dimension of the upper end of the base element 2, and thethickness of each wall 16 at the lower end of element 13 is the same asthe thickness of the upper edge of each wall 3. Also, a continuoushorizontal reinforcing wire 81, corresponding to wire 8, may be imbeddedin the side walls 16 of the pier unit.

The lower edges 18 of the sides 16 of the pier element 13 are horizontaland coplanar, and are respectively of a width approximately equal to thewidth of the upper edge 6 of each wall 3 on the lower element. Also,each lower edge 18 is formed with an inverted V-shaped recess 19extending longitudinally thereof that is complementary incross-sectional contour to a ridge 7. The recess 19 receives ridges 7therein when the upper element 13 is positioned on the base element, andwhen so positioned, the outer surfaces 5, 17, respectively, on the baseelement 1 and the upper element 13 will be continuous to form apyramidal pier.

The top wall 15 of the upper element is formed with a central aperture20 for removably receiving the lower end of a vertical adjusting bolt21. The upper wall 14 of the element 13 is relatively thick, thusproviding both strength and a support for said bolt, and rigid on theupper end of said bolt is an angle piece generally designated 22, havinga horizontal base leg 23 adapted to engage the lower edges of a lowertrailer frame member which may be an inverted channel strip. A verticalleg 24 at one end of the base leg 23 is adapted to be positioned againsta side of such channel strip.

A nut 25 is threaded on bolt 21, which nut is adapted to bear on theupper flat surface of a solid bell washer 26 having a relatively largediameter lower flat side adapted to bear on the upper surface of topwall 14 around the central aperture 20. Upon rotation of nut 25 theangle piece 22 will be raised or lowered.

When the upper pier element 13 is supported on the lower pier element 1,the two elements will form a single pier, and when the ground on whichthe trailer is to be positioned is relatively level, the two elementsmay be positioned adjacent to each of the four corners of the lowertrailer frame, and elsewhere along the frame, if desired, with the anglepieces 24 in a position below the trailer frame, so that one side ofsuch frame is against the upstanding legs 24, and with the lower edge ofthe channel frame extending across the upper side of the lower leg 23.

The base portion of the base pier element 1 may be 16 inches X 16 inchesand the height 6 inches, while the upper end of the upper element 13 maybe 8 inches X 8 inches and the height 6 inches. In such a case, thetotal height of each pier will be 12 inches.

The 8 inches X 8 inches upper surface of the upper element 13 providesample breadth for supporting wedge elements 28 alongside the washer 26,which wedge elements, in turn, support the trailer independently of thebolt 20.

An endless, horizontally disposed reinforcing wire 29 imbedded on theside walls 16 adjacent to, but spaced above, their lower edges reinforcesaid side walls.

in supporting the trailer on said piers the area for each pier may belevelled and, assuming the ground below the trailer is substantiallylevel, a pair of said pier elements 1, 13 is positioned on the levelspots and the trailer is lowered, the angle pieces 22 being against nuts25. One or more of the nuts 25 may then be rotated to level the trailer,after which the wedges 28 may be positioned on top surface 15 to extendacross the lower trailer frame-member and the nuts released so theweight of the trailer is directly transmitted onto the upper pierelement independently of the adjusting bolts.

The present pier structure also provides an intermediate pier elementgenerally designated 31 (FIG. 1 This element is preferably square,having four vertical side walls 32 having bottom edges 33 and top edges34 of the same width and dimensions as the top edges 6 of the baseelement 1, and the lower edges 18 of the top element 13.

Edges 33, 34 respectively are formed with recesses 35 and ridges 36 thatare complementary in cross-sectional contour to ridges 7 on base member1 and to recesses 19 on the top or upper pier element 13. Verticallyspaced, endless horizontally disposed reinforcing wires 37 are imbeddedin the side walls 31.

These intermediate sections may be of any desired height. If provided in6 inches heights, which is normal, the total height of each pier will be18 inches where each of the three elements 1, 13, 32 are of 6 inchesheight. These elements may also be 3 inches in height, to enable closerapproximation to conditions in certain localities.

A trailer owner having four complete sets of three elements each, eachelement being 6 inches in height, may support a trailer 40 on levelground 18 inches off the ground, (H6. 3), or it may be positioned levelon a relatively gentle slope by using a pair of three-element piers onthe lower side and a pair of two-element piers on the upper side, (FIG.4). On a steeper slope, a pair of four-element piers may be used on thelower side of the trailer and a pair of two-element piers on the upperside. Obviously, sets of pier elements of different numbers may be usedat each corner where the contour of the land requires it. However, ineach instance the lower and the upper pier elements are used.

It is apparent that while the three elements may be of differentdimensions, the same basic advantages will be obtained, and this isparticularly true of the intermediate element 37, which may be of lesserheight, such as 3 inches, for example, in which one or more may be usedwhere desired.

I claim:

1. A pier set for supporting a trailer at each of its four corners onthe ground, comprising:

a. a base element adapted to be positioned on the ground below eachcorner of such trailer, an intermediate element adapted to be positioneddirectly on said base element in vertical alignment therewith, and anupper element adapted to be positioned directly on said intermediateelement in vertical alignment with said base and said intermediateelement, each of said elements having horizontal, upper and lowersurfaces providing horizontal seating surfaces for seating the upperelement of each set directly on said base element or directly on saidintermediate elernent when the latter is seated on said base element,and for seating said base element on the ground and for seating thetrailer at each corner on an upper element according to the distancebetween the comer and the ground,

b. said upper and base elements having lateral surfaces extendingconvergently upwardly at the same angle from their lower to their uppersurfaces with said lateral surfaces on said upper element being incontinuation of the lateral surfaces of said base element when the upperelement is seated directly on said base element,

c. said intermediate element having parallel vertical lateral surfacesthat are coincidental at the upper and lower ends of said intermediateelements with the lateral surfaces said upper element at its lower endand with the lateral surfaces of said base element at its upper endrespective ly, whereby one or more of said intermediate elements may besupported on said base element in vertical alignment with said upperelement on the upper end providing a longer and shorter trailer supportpier at each of dif ferent corners of a trailer, each such supporthaving one of said upper elements at its upper end with its lateralsurfaces extending convergently upwardly from the upper ends of thelateral surfaces of the intermediate member on which it is positionedand each trailer support having one of said base elements at its lowerend having lateral surfaces extending divergently downwardly from thelower ends of the lateral surfaces of the intermediate element directlysupported thereon,

. said elements of said set being free from securement to each other forlateral insertion and removal to a position below any corner of atrailer when the trailer is over the site to be supported with thecorner elevated a sufficient distance to provide a relatively slightclearance between the upper element and the corner of the trailerthereabove, and said upper element including an upper wall the uppersurface of which is the said upper seating surface thereon providing awide unobstructed surface for conventional removable levelling wedges,and said base element having a bottom wall on which its lower seatingsurface is formed.

1. A pier set for supporting a trailer at each of its four corners onthe ground, comprising: a. a base element adapted to be positioned onthe ground below each corner of such trailer, an intermediate elementadapted to be positioned directly on said base element in verticalalignment therewith, and an upper element adapted to be positioneddirectly on said intermediate element in vertical alignment with saidbase and said intermediate element, each of said elements havinghorizontal, upper and lower surfaces providing horizontal seatingsurfaces for seating the upper element of each set directly on said baseelement or directly on said intermediate element when the latter isseated on said base element, and for seating said base element on theground and for seating the trailer at each corner on an upper elementaccording to the distance between the corner and the ground, b. saidupper and base elements having lateral surfaces extending convergentlyupwardly at the same angle from their lower to their upper surfaces withsaid lateral surfaces on said upper element being in continuation of thelateral surfaces of said base element when the upper element is seateddirectly on said base element, c. said intermediate element havingparallel vertical lateral surfaces that are coincidental at the upperand lower ends of said intermediate elements with the lateral surfacessaid upper element at its lower end and with the lateral surfaces ofsaid base element at its upper end respectively, whereby one or more ofsaid intermediate elements may be supported on said base element invertical alignment with said upper element on the upper end providing alonger and shorter trailer support pier at each of different corners ofa trailer, each such support having one of said upper elements at itsupper end with its lateral surfaces extending convergently upwardly fromthe upper ends of the lateral surfaces of the intermediate member onwhich it is positionEd and each trailer support having one of said baseelements at its lower end having lateral surfaces extending divergentlydownwardly from the lower ends of the lateral surfaces of theintermediate element directly supported thereon, d. said elements ofsaid set being free from securement to each other for lateral insertionand removal to a position below any corner of a trailer when the traileris over the site to be supported with the corner elevated a sufficientdistance to provide a relatively slight clearance between the upperelement and the corner of the trailer thereabove, and said upper elementincluding an upper wall the upper surface of which is the said upperseating surface thereon providing a wide unobstructed surface forconventional removable levelling wedges, and said base element having abottom wall on which its lower seating surface is formed.